Pitso’s 1-0 fifth anniversary present
IRREPRESSIBLE coach Pitso Mosimane continued to celebrate his fifth year at the helm at Mamelodi Sundowns in fine style after his swashbuckling charges regained the premiership top spot and waltzed their way past a tough Golden Arrows at the Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban yesterday afternoon.
A sixth-minute half volley from Ivorian defender Bangaly Soumahoro was enough to earn the visitors a deserved 1-0 victory, and gave the Brazilians ownership of the premiership summit‚ forcing overnight temporary leaders Orlando pirates down the table to second place.
Pirates had assumed the premiership top after drawing 0-0 with title rivals Supersport United at Orlando Stadium on Saturday night but Sundowns were not to be denied and they regained the lead with the tough away win in Durban.
This is not to be sneezed at as Arrows have a nasty habit of pulling the rug from under Sundowns over the years but Mosimane’s charges stood their ground. The Downs coach acknowledged after the game that it was a tough game and he was happy to emerge from KwaZulu-Natal with the three points in the bag.
Even the Brazilians’ staunchest supporters must have feared that the KZN upstarts would poop the party and put a damper on Mosimane’s big week? But Soumahoro was having none of it and he expertly controlled a delicious ball from a Percy Tau corner and with several Arrows players demanding his attention in the area‚ he picked his spot and calmly beat goalkeeper Nkosingiphile Gumede with a classy overhead volley.
It was a performance-based goal that would have earned Christmas bonuses in a different environment.
In fact‚ it was so beautiful it would have made Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo delirious.
It has certainly been an emotional week for Mosimane and his charges were never going to disappoint a man who’s led them to the Caf Champions League‚ Caf Super Cup‚ two Absa Premiership titles‚ the Nedbank Cup and the Telkom Knockout.
And while the MTN8 is the only title that Sundowns have not won under his hand‚ the man himself won the title when he was with Supersport United years ago under its previous guise as the SAA Super 8.
The revered Jingles‚ as Mosimane is known‚ became the first man to make a clean sweep of all trophies in domestic football in the PSL era when he led Sundowns to the Telkom Knockout title against limping Kaizer Chiefs two years ago.
● In the other PSL game yesterday, Bloemfontein Celtic thumped Free State Stars 3-0. Sepana Letsoalo scored a brace with the other goal comimg from Lucky Baloyi.